Things That Change and Things That Don't
by buffyangelinfinitdesire
Summary: I got tired of Jatie fics that disregarded the age difference, or changed the ages to get around it.    and as he watches her sleep,he can feels that thing that's been hanging over his head finally hit the ground.


**A.N.** This is my attempt to write Jatie without minimizing the age difference or making it ridiculously creepy. The events are written in reverse order, so the end is the beginning and the beginning is the end, which is probably more confusing than if I had left you figure that out on your own, but it's one in the morning.

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><p>By the time the press gets wind of their relationship, she's eighteen and there's nothing anyone can do about it. Everyone wants to know why and how and still his only answer is that he loves her. He's 23 and she's 18 and it's still a little bit weird but he doesn't care anymore.<p>

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><p>When she's seventeen, they get caught. They've kept it a secret, not because they're ashamed, but because it's illegal and the press will have a field day and Kendall will kill him. And of course it Kendall that walks in on them kissing. He's angry because she's his baby sister and it's his job to overreact. He's turning a frightening shade of red and making threats and gets as far as 'statutory rape' before Katie has enough.<p>

In a nanosecond she's up and screaming at her older brother. She's a tornado of rage and indignation as she bombards him with logic and 'how dare you' and 'I'm not a little girl anymore.'

When Kendall's calmed down and his only question is 'why my baby sister?', the only explanation James has to offer is that he loves her. It seems to be enough.

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><p>When she's sixteen, it becomes clear that his prayers have been disregarded. She does come on to him and it turns out he was right. His willpower weakens considerably without the deterrent of taking advantage.<p>

He watches for even flicker of uncertainty or reluctance and comes up empty. He almost stops when he sees a bit of nervousness in her eyes as he undoes her bra, but she knows what he's thinking and she's having none of it. She pulls him down for a kiss before telling him that she's _never done this before so of course she's nervous_ and he _had better not stop just because of that_.

He doesn't know why he's so surprised. She's only sixteen, and she's only had three boyfriends. Honestly it would be more surprising if she _wasn't_ a virgin. Still the news of her inexperience adds both to his reluctance and his willingness. On the one hand, the risk of her regretting this becomes that much more severe, but on the other hand, it's Katie and he knows that she's thought about this. If she's chosen him then who is he to argue?

He's glad he didn't argue afterwards when he's lying there with her in his arms. He isn't sure which one of them was the first to whisper those three words, but it doesn't matter, and he watches her sleep, he can feels that thing that's been hanging over his head finally hit the ground.

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><p>She went through puberty faster than he was at all prepared for. At fourteen she has sexy curves and decent sized breasts. She does not <em>look<em> like a fourteen year old, she does not _act_ like a fourteen year old, and it's getting really hard to REMEMBER that she is a fourteen year old.

She doesn't make things any easier, because at this point, she is well aware of his feelings, and has made it rather obvious that they are returned. It's normal for her to be into him. It would almost be weird if she wasn't. He's her older brother's attractive best friend, and he's in a successful band. She's pretty much _supposed_ to have at least a small crush on him.

He's pretty sure that she's the more mature one, but it doesn't seem to matter. In the eyes of the law, he is a grown man and she is a child. He's not Logan, so he doesn't know what the legal age of consent in California is off the top of his head, but he's pretty sure that it isn't fourteen _anywhere _in the country.

It's not like he's planning on having sex with her anyway. He _wants to_, but he isn't going to, and it isn't because of any law that says he can't. She's mature but she is still just barely a teenager. She's probably never even been kissed judging by her extreme pickiness when it comes to guys. He loves her, and he wouldn't ever hurt her by talking her in to something she isn't ready for. He wouldn't do that to any girl, but especially not to _her_.

He prays that she doesn't come on to him. Without the fear of hurting her, there's very little conviction for him to cling to.

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><p>When she's eleven and he's sixteen and even the thought of being anything more than they are is kind of sickening, she's still his, and he's still hers. He's James Diamond, and she's Katie Knight and despite the fact that nothing but friendship has ever even been hinted at, there's a something hanging just above his head waiting to drop, and for the life of him he can't figure out what it is.<p>

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><p>I own nothing. Reviews make me dance with glee.<p> 


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